Lubavitch Institute as well as a teacher
rained a sexual connotation.
Without going into nuances,
at Beis Chaya Mushka in Oak Park
MacPherson explained to her student
The experience was her first introduc-
that in terms of her story, simple was
tion to teaching Jewish women.
best.
There were seven 14-year-old girls in
MacPherson's 10th-grade creative writ-
ing class at Beis Chaya Mushka. All
Roberta Martin
were hoping to be teachers, save one
For two years, Roberta Martin, 46, has
who wanted to be a writer.
served the dual role of social worker and
"I believe all of them spoke Yiddish at
guidance counselor at Yeshivat Akiva in
home," recalls MacPherson, and several
Southfield. She helps children in all
spoke other languages as well. English,
grades with classroom issues and assists
which they spoke
seniors with their
perfectly, was the
college applica-
language of the class-
tions.
room.
Her most corn-
When the
mon issues: ado-
Oklahoma City fed-
lescent and pre-
eral building bomb-
adolescent con-
ing occurred on
cerns, such as
April 19, 1995,
"my friends don't
MacPherson's college
like me any-
students wanted her
more.
to tell them what
"It's the same
was going on. None
sort of social
of them read main-
struggles you
stream newspapers or
would find on
watched television,
any playground
but they knew some-
in America," says
thing was wrong.
Martin.
As a small child,
A yearlong
MacPherson lived in Italy,
school-wide project,
Carolyn McPherson's
South America and France,
Derech Eretz, empha-
advice to non-Jewish
but she describes Beis Chaya
sizes respectful behav-
teachers at an
Mushka as the most different
ior. Weekly lessons are
Orthodox day
culture she has ever experi-
incorporated into both
school? Keep an open
enced — like going to a for-
-Judaic
and secular sub-
mind, have a sense
eign country to teach every
jects.
Examples
include
of adventure and
day, she says.
"
expressing
regret,
love yotir subject.
MacPherson credits Dr.
respect for all teach-
David Kagan, principal of
ers," showing grad-
Beis Chaya Mushka and pres-
tude" and "unfair accusations." Martin
ident of the Lubavitch Institute, for giv-
reinforces these values when working
ing her latitude in teaching, enabling
with the students. Because there is
her to expose her students to certain
such a pro-active approach, discipline
mainstream texts, including some
problems are minor ones, she says.
O'Henry stories and Flowers for
Martin is Methodist and visited
Algernon, which they adored.
Israel last February with her church.
Parameters, stated or implied,
She tries, when it is appropriate, to
included no Shakespeare, no stories
use religion in problem solving. If she
about sexuality, no stories about
sees a student who is struggling, she
rebelliousness or children disobeying
asks, "What does your religion teach
parents, MacPherson recalls.
you?" Martin says, "I may not know
She characterizes her students as "so
the answer, but I want them to think
incredibly bright, so endowed with the
along those lines."
belief that education is important and
Martin and Bill Andrade, the gym
what we were doing mattered."
teacher, are the only non-Jewish per-
One of MacPherson's goals was to get
sonnel in the school. She is impressed
her students to realize how many words
by the Orthodox community's love,
there are in English that mean the same
support and nurturing, and says she is
thing and how to use them in an appro-
always included when Akiva has a
priate manner.
concert or Chanukah celebration.
One day, a student who had an elec-
When students who have graduated
tronic thesaurus was looking for a word
return to Akiva expressly to see Martin,
to replace "he said" in her story. What
she feels good knowing she has made a
she came up with was a synonym,
difference. ❑
which unknown to the student con-
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